Steve Crump savoring his California stay
By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness
Steve
Crump is making his first trip to Cal Expo and the 65-year-old Saskatchewan
native and his wife Shannon are enjoying the racing and the mild weather.
“My
wife and I love it, and so do the horses,” said Crump, who came down from
Alberta with eight performers and plans to stay through the end of the meet.
“I
originally got involved with harness racing in 1969 through Chuckie Lewis,”
Steve related when asked about his beginnings in the game. “I was 19 at the
time and while I’d been around horses all my life, this was the first time I
was exposed to racing.”
After
putting in several years learning about the game from the ground up in the
Lewis barn, Crump elected to concentrate on his marriage and home life and
spent five years working as a carpenter.
“We
always had some horses, though, and in 1982 we came back in and opened a public
stable. I guess the most we ever had was about 16, and that’s when we raced out
all-time favorite, a mare named Tangle High who did real well for us.”
There
came a second time when Crump left training, going back into the construction
business while buying a farm in Alberta. “Three years ago, everybody in the
company retired and we got back into the horses full time in Edmonton.”
Encouraged
by Quentin and Ricky Schneider, Steve and Shannon decided to give Cal Expo a
chance this winter. “You can say that we wanted to follow the warmth,” Crump
said.
El Azteca, It’s Not Over holding spotlight
The
Open Trot headlines Sunday evening’s Cal Expo program, with It’s Not Over and
El Azteca getting the top billing. An 11-race card is on tap and first post is
4:40 p.m.
The
trotters and pacers are now in action under the Watch and Wager LLC banner on
Saturday and Sunday evenings. Beginning December 26, Friday night action will
be added to the mix.
Its
Not Over is a 4-year-old son of Panama Hanover out of the Andover Hall mare
Hall It who is owned by Richard Dryden and Debra Budahn, takes his lessons from
Bob Johnson and will once again have the services of Chip Lackey.
After
checking in fourth here two weeks ago in a needed effort, Its Not Over was able
to work out a perfect stalking trip in last week’s clash for the top trotters
on the grounds and ignited when it counted for Lackey to prevail by a length
over odds-on El Azteca that evening.
The latter is another son of Panama Hanover who is
owned, trained and was bred by Marco Rios and again has James Kennedy at the
controls. He comes into his assignment having posed for pictures following 15
of his last 26 trips to the post with a 1:54 3/5 mark and a $122,000 in his
bank account.
El
Azteca gamely got the job done in his first two starts at this meet following a
layoff, on both occasions hanging head decisions on Franks Best. Sent off at
1-2 in last week’s gathering, he carved out all the fractions and could not
quite hold off Its Not Over at crunch time completing the exacta.
Looking
to post a surprise in the main event are Silence Son from the George Reider
barn; the Vickie Desomer-trained Franky Provolone; and Ali De Vie, who leaves
from the rail slot for trainer Gene Vallandingham.
